Aides Say Bush Prepared For Air Strike On Terrorists

August 4, 1989|By New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Bush was prepared to order an air strike against suspected terrorist strongholds in Lebanon if kidnappers had carried out a threat to kill an American hostage, administration officials said Thursday.

The military plan that Bush had selected called for the 6th Fleet to attack terrorist targets with carrier aircraft that were moved within striking distance in the last three days, administration officials said.

The officials said that one of the areas that would have been hit was Baalbek, in eastern Lebanon, where some 2,000 Iranian revolutionary guards have been based for years, along with Lebanese Shiite Muslim militants.

The attack scenario, which had been refined and discussed at the White House and the Pentagon over the last 72 hours, was held in abeyance Thursday after the Shiite kidnappers suspended a decision to kill the American hostage, Joseph James Cicippio.

Although Bush had reportedly reserved the right not to go ahead with the plan, top officials said they had understood that Bush was all but certain to order the attack if an American hostage had been killed.

The plan is still alive, officials said, and can be put into effect if Cicippio or any of the other hostages are killed.

Officials said the United States had warned Iran over the last 24 hours through diplomatic channels that it would take strong military retaliation if Cicippio were killed.

Bush's willingness to strike targets in Lebanon apparently reflected a decision to accept the risk of inflicting civilian casualties and other potential consequences, including losses among American forces involved.